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Health Benefits of the Carnivore Diet

When we talk about the carnivore diet, we are talking about a dietary program which restricts carbohydrate consumption for the purpose of weight control. This type of diet can also serve as treatment for obesity. It is focused on eating more of meat and less on digestible carbohydrates like pasta and bread. This means, you’ll be limiting or replacing them with foods that contain a higher percentage of fats and proteins. Good examples are fish, poultry, eggs, meat, cheese, nuts, soy and seeds. Salad vegetables and other fruits are also good.

What comprises the carnivore diet?

This kind of diet can also vary because there are different types of low-carb diets you can employ. There are diets that are called “ketogenic” or those that restrict carbo intake sufficiently in order to cause “ketosis”.

What diseases or disorders does implementing a low carb diet treat?

– Obesity
– Epilepsy
– Diabetes
– Polycystic ovarian syndrome
– Chronic fatigue syndrome

What is Ketosis?

Since there is so much debate about the low carb diet, studies were conducted about the diets of a majority of those residing in Western nations. It was found out that the diets of most Americans would comprise of large amounts of starches and sugars like fructose. Since most Americans seldom wear out stored glycogen supplies, they rarely experience ketosis. This is actually regarded as a normal condition.

Ketosis is believed to be life threatening or potentially harmful. It can stress out the liver and destroy muscle tissues. There are also times when “ketosis” is mistaken for “ketoacidosis” which is an extremely dangerous ketotic condition that is associated with diabetes. There were also perceptions before that if a person relies mainly on dietary protein and not on carbohydrates; it can result to liver damage. Also, if you will consume dietary fats and not carbohydrates, it can lead to heart disease. These days, scientists and doctors are saying that periodic ketosis is normal and it can also provide benefits like neuroprotection against diverse forms of cellular injury.

Health Effects of the Carnivore Diet

With all the hype regarding the restriction and elimination of carbohydrates in this kind of diet studies have been conducted for years about its effectiveness. Just recently, there seems to some ray of light emerging from years of research. Here are a few of them:

– On weightloss

Based from randomize controlled trials conducted since 2003, it was found out that low carb, non-energy restricted diets are just as effective as energy-restricted low-fat diets for inducing weight loss.

– Mortality

Studies show that people who follow the low-carb diet which is high in vegetables and protein as well as oils, can actually decrease mortality. However, if you will tae the low-carb diet that is very high in protein and fat, mortality rate seems to reach a hazardous ratio.

– Blood lipids

Research shows that measurements of weight, triglyceride levels, systolic blood pressure and HDL cholesterol are better for groups who followed the low-carb diet.

– Other health effects

Before, many have speculated that a low-carb diet can damage the heart. Recently, it was found out that a low-carb diet that is high in protein and fat can actually lessen the risk of coronary heart disease. There were also good reports about the benefits the carnivore diet can offer to people with cancer, autism and diabetes. This also goes for people who are being treated for epilepsy.


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